News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-29
THE SWEAT OF HIS BROW.
A Young Jerseyman Tells How He
Became independents.
lFrom tho n. Y. Herald

From the N. Y. Herald
You won't get many to believe 1t,
but it's true nevertheless.
''Whnt's truce
why that within ten miles of the |
city of New York a man without any
capital, very little credit, and not much
training, can earn a very comfortable
living off of three acres of land. You
don't believe it, Well, walk a mile or
two with me and I'll convince YOU"
The above conversation took place be- |
tween Hera6 reporter and respecta- |
BILE, wide awake New Jersey farmer re-
Gently. An hour later the farmer and |
reporter were seated in a neat little |
kitchen, which formed part of a one
story house, not far distant from Pas
sale, n. j., and were interviewing a
strapping young fellow as to the amount
of profit which his little strip of ground
had yielded him during the past year
Nothing 10th, the young man, whose
name is Henry Zaabel, gave q graphic
history of his labors and his ultimate
success.
"Nhen l came here four years ago."
said Mr.. Aaabel, as he seated himself at
ON open window, from which one could
catch a glimpse OF the distant Orange
Mountains, 81 found out that the three
ceres which [ own now we're for sale and
[ determined to buy them. But how?
That was the question. | hadn't @ cent
in the world and / had no Security on
which to borrow money. However, I
went to the owner, lady, and she told
me TINT | could have the land with the
house and barn, for 81 800, and that, Il
I would pay little down, the remain
der could remain on mortgage. [ ex-
planned my position to her, and within
a few days l got the land and moved
into the house with my wife and child.
"My intention WAS to raise lettuce
and such stuff for the New York winter
market, and of course [ had to bay
sashes and seed and manure. But how
was [ to get them all? Well, man
who knew me from childhood lent me
800 and I bought n few sashes, and
gradually ] got seed and manure and in
few months was gradually ut work.
Little by little L scrapud some money
together and bought a horse for 5000
and good COW and couple Ofpigs and
material for a new roof on the house and
barn.
$50 the time passed until at last /
found myself the owner of three hun
dred sashes and of three well fertilized,
productive acres. True, there is still
some mortgage on the land, but [ can
pay it off with little diffic llty. / have
a nice, dry house, large barn and sta
bic, and the consciousness that no one
else but myself gets all the profit that
is to be made out of my work.
Thinking that Mr.. Isabel might be
able to furnish some statistics which
would prove interesting to the readers
of the Herald, the reporter asked him to
specify the exact amount Of profit which
he had made out of his three acres dur
ing the past year. Mr.. Zaabel, in re-
ply, took n we'll thlmbed account book
out of a drawer, and after he had added
the various lines Of figures, announced
that since the ed day of May, 1887, his
profits amounted to over 81, 900.
my Lima beans,'' he explained,
'fetched $500; my tomatoes, $3.50; my
peas, 800; my Strawberries, $50, and my
radishes, egg plants, cucumbers and
other vegetables between S200and $500.
"Besides that have received 1852
out of what I have raised with my 800
Bashes since January last. l raised two
crops of salad, aud the first crop, which
was sold in February, brought me $132,
and the second crop brought me $120.
Between now and Christmas is the
dullest time of the year for me and I
don't expect to make more than 800.
"The figures which have given you
represent my profits. From my COW,
pigs and other sources I earn more
lN11+ off
My COW, for example, brought me 800
this year, and my pork always brings
me n nice sum of money. My expenses
for the past year have amounted to $40
for seed, $75 for manure, $40 for extra
help and 800 for the horses feed. 1
may mention that I raise some of the
horses feed myself on land which I
hire"
Being asked if he intended to content
himself with his present holding, he re-
piled that he would like to have larger
farm, but that what his heart was set on
ut present was to increase the number
of his sashes to five hundred, and ulti-
mately to build greenhouse in which
he could raise salad for winter use.
"My three hundred sashes cost me
81 80 EACH" he remarked, land not O
year passes that [ don't make a dollar
clear profit out of each of them. Not
bad, is it,"
Mr.. Zaabee said chat he did almost
all the work on the farm himself, and
that it was his custom to take his vege-
tables to New York three times week
in summer and once a week in winter.
Being asked what each trip cost him,
he hesitated SO long that his wife, a
comely, well-built young woman, came
to his rescue and reminded him that 81
was the amount set aside for such occa-
siOns.
Sleeping, as it were, in the bosom of
this quiet valley, the farm seems ex-
tremely isolated and remote. Yet, as the
above figures show, its owner knows
that the great city of New York is within
an hours drive, that people living in
New York must have vegetables i'll win
ter and are willing to pay good price
for them, andhe has utilized this knOwl-
edge in such a way that, after few
years labor, he finds himself perfectly
free and independent and able to earn
q handsome income in a pleasant and
congenial manner. What pleases him
most, however, is the fact that he is, in
all senses of the word. his own mas